1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, system, and program for executing operations on a client in a network environment and, in particular to an enterprise computing environment wherein ultimate control rests with a centralied server authority.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a client/server environment managed by a central authority, such as a corporate network administrator, the network administrator may perform various system management functions at the client machines used by employees, customers, or other users of corporate resources operating at client computers. Such network management functions may include providing program updates, monitoring and scanning files to determine the clients configuration, using the client as a console, etc. The Tivoli Systems Inc. (Tivoli) Tivoli Management Agent (TMA) provides a framework to allow a network administrator to perform network management operations such as software distribution, inventory scanning, user administration and distributed monitoring. The TMA software is installed on a client to allow the client to function as part of a larger computing enterprise managed by the network administrator. The TMA software executes a TMA daemon in the client, which is activated to provide the central administrator certain levels of control over client operations.
For instance, Tivoli Inventory allows the network administrator to automatically scan clients to collect hardware and software configuration information from client systems. Tivoli Inventory is used with Tivoli Software Distribution to determine the updates the clients need to conform to system configuration requirements and allow a technical support consultant to better diagnose problems at the client by reviewing the clients configuration. Tivoli Remote Control allows a network administrator complete real-time remote control and the ability to quickly establish connections, control desktop systems, and distribute applications executing across multiple clients.
There is a need in the art for an improved method, system, and program for performing enterprise wide operations.
Preferred embodiments disclose a system, method, and program for executing operations on a client computer transmitted from a server over a network. A server operation is received indicating actions to perform on the client. A determination is made as to whether the requested operation is permitted according to a set of rules. The requested operation is executed on the client if there is no rule that prohibits the requested operation. The server is then notified that the requested action completed or that the requested action was not executed because of one rule prohibiting execution of the operation.
In further embodiments, an override code associated with the requested operation is processed. The requested operation that is prohibited because of at least one rule is executed after processing the override code.
In still further embodiments, a client program executes a server program on the client that is transferred from the server to the client. The server program performs the steps of providing the requested operation to the client program and notifying the server of one of the results. The client program performs the steps of determining whether the requested operation is permitted according to the rules and executing the requested operation if there is no rule that prohibits the action.
Preferred embodiments provide a mechanism to allow client computers in a network/client environment a certain degree of control over the execution of network operations transmitted from a central server. With preferred embodiments, the centralized server authority is notified as to the client""s execution of server initiated operations. Further, the server may provide an override code with the operation to cause the client to execute the server initiated operation notwithstanding the effort by the client to set a rule to block such operations. In this way, in an enterprise computing environment ultimately managed by a central authority, users at clients have a certain degree of control to block or limit server actions attempting to affect the client, with the caveat that the ultimate control and determiner of whether the client may block operations lies with the centralized server authority.